CASE 68
Any 8-year-old with autism has a tough enough time, but J's life is further complicated by problems at home. His father is absent and his mother, M.C., was told by doctors to quit working due to multiple rare forms of arthritis. The result: The family is struggling to make ends meet. The family hopes M.C.'s disability claim will be processed; meanwhile, J and M.C. need winter clothing and repairs to her car so that J has a means of getting to his therapy sessions.
CASE 69
The father of the three children now in M's care is dead. That much she knows. Where the children's mother lives is anyone's guess. The children have not seen her in three years. So M carries on, trying her best to give these three children a good home. It's hard because her arm was severely burned in an accident and now, due to the scar tissue, can barely bend. There's not a lot of work for an aging women with only one useable arm. She would use money for needed clothing and shoes, sheets, blankets and cleaning supplies.
CASE 70
O is sharing her home with her five adult children and five grandchildren, ages 1 to 6, as they struggle to get back on their feet and find jobs. The family is in danger, however, of losing the home that is providing them respite. O's oldest son, 27, is mentally disabled. A daughter, 25, recently lost her job; and two other daughters are in college. One daughter simply can't make ends meet on her own with a minimum-wage paycheck. To keep them in their home, they are asking for help with paying the property taxes and for much-needed roof, plumbing and electrical repairs. They also need appliances and furniture.
Profiles by David Sheets, Diane Toroian Keaggy and Michele Munz of the Post-Dispatch.
